A notice to Moscow and 10 hours by train: how was Joe Biden’s secret trip to Ukraine

It was a daring journey that shocked the world.

Joe Biden arrived this Monday at a war zone that is regularly under attack.

Look: What did Joe Biden seek to convey with his surprise visit to Ukraine?

White House officials described the unexpected visit to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv as “unprecedented in modern times.”

Previous presidential trips to Iraq and Afghanistan during the war were supported by a strong US military presence.

And despite widespread speculation among the press corps that Biden might be planning a trip to the Ukraine while in Poland, anyway the visit took everyone by surprise.

Seeing him appear next to President Volodymyr Zelensky in the heart of Kyiv and under the sound of air raid sirens speaks much louder than any speech he could deliver on Polish soil.

“It was risky and there should be no doubt that Joe Biden is a leader who takes commitment seriously,” White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said.

no phones

Biden was scheduled to fly from the United States to Warsaw on Monday night for a two-day trip.

President Joe Biden walks down a corridor to his cabin on a train after a surprise visit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. (Reuters)

The president’s anticipated schedule had two “suspiciously” long gaps in his itinerary, and many wondered if this would be the time when he would fly to Ukraine.

Reporters at daily White House press conferences have been repeatedly asking about a possible visit.

The final decision to make the trip to Kyiv was made only on Friday, even though it had been planned for months with a handful of the presidents’ top advisers.

President Joe Biden sitting on the train with his security adviser Jake Sullivan. (GETTY IMAGES)

On Sunday, the official White House time still showed the president taking off for Warsaw at 7:00 p.m. ET Monday night.

On board was a deliberately small team of his closest aides, medical personnel and security officers.

Only two journalists they were able to travel with the American leader. They made a secrecy pledge and had their mobile phones taken away. They were not allowed to report on the visit until Biden arrived in Kyiv.

Russia was notified of the trip a few hours before Biden’s departure, according to US national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

The official indicated that the US “did it for non-adversarial purposes… I won’t go into detail about how they responded or what the nature of our message was, but I can confirm that we did provide that notice.”

vivid message home

(GETTY IMAGES)

Later, President Biden spent 10 hours on a train to reach the Ukrainian capital. He could have visited other places within the Eastern European country that would have been easier to reach, but he wanted to make the symbolic trip to Kyiv.

The effects in the US

While the president’s trip is a signal to Moscow of his administration’s commitment to helping Ukraine, it is also a demonstration to American voters at home.

His press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, was asked last week about polls showing that US support for Ukraine is weakening.

She responded that every time the president speaks, he addresses the American people and people around the world.

Monday’s message is designed to vividly counter the minority of Republican voices questioning how long the country can continue to support Ukraine.

Source: Elcomercio